The Real Patent War Begins

The following video is part of our "Motley Fool Conversations" series, in which senior technology analyst Eric Bleeker and Chief Technology Officer Jeremy Phillips discuss topics across the investing world.

China has given approval for Google's acquisition of Motorola, which has cleared the way for the closing of the merger between companies. Eric and Jeremy look at whether hardware really matters in Google's decision to buy Motorola. Eric says it probably wasn't a huge concern. Google bought Motorola at the peak of patent mania. With Microsoft reportedly extracting $5 per Android device at the time, not far below reports of Windows Phone licenses between $7 and $15 per handset, Google felt the need to defend its territory. As far as future opportunities in mobile patents, Eric recommends Qualcomm as a safe play while noting the risks in companies like InterDigital and VirnetX. To see Eric and Jeremy's full discussion, watch the video below.